


IBA-1224

by koi_choshi



Category: Arashi (Band)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Androids, Fluff, M/M, Mad Science, Police, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-13 22:02:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9143932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/koi_choshi/pseuds/koi_choshi
Summary: Nino refused to have any partners after the death of his comrade and best friend in a dangerous mission. However, as Dr. Sakurai was kidnapped, he was given a new temporary partner, Android IBA-1224, Aiba-chan for short. Will Nino accept him? Will they be able to save Dr. Sakurai? And why was Aiba invented, anyway?





	1. Nino's New Partner

**Author's Note:**

> Originally finished on 30 November 2011. Please forgive my old errors as the story is posted as is.
> 
> This work is actually somehow inspired by a work of my other OTP entitled "Double Heroine". If you're curious, you can go look it up! :D

“You almost blew the whole building up!” Matsujun roared. His subordinate just sat on the chair in front of him, scratching his chin, not minding the insults being hurled at him.  
   
“I just saved the girl,” Nino said. “And they were the ones who set off the bomb, not me,” he retorted.  
   
“I think you’re not fit to work alone anymore, the boss said, sitting down.  
   
“Oh, fine. What do you suggest then?” Nino sneered.  
   
Three knocks came from the door. The third one was able to bore a hole through it. “Oha!” a jolly voice greeted, his eye peering through the hole.  
   
“Aiba! Don’t do that!” Jun said, raising an eyebrow. “By the way, this will be your new sidekick,” he said with a smile.  
   
The man, Aiba, tilted his head to the side and looked at Nino from head to foot. Nino observed him too. He looked completely human, except for the weird cat ears. “Ohayou, I am IBA – 1224… but you can call me Aiba-chan!” However, the man suddenly stopped moving. Jun immediately went to him and tickled his right ear. That woke him up.  
   
“Where did you… get this thing?” Nino said, looking disgusted as Jun went back to his seat, laughing. Aiba was scratching his head.  
   
“Ah, that’s what I was about to tell you,” Jun said, handing a folder to him. “Aiba is not owned by our organization. He was the only remaining evidence against a break-in…”  
   
“What?”  
   
“He would, I think, be helpful in this case,” his boss said with a nod. “You will solve the case about the kidnapping of Dr. Sakurai Sho.”  
   
“Who is this guy?” Nino asked as he opened the folder. Dr. Sakurai had thick glasses but other than that, he would look more fitting to be a model than a scientist.  
   
“Dr. Sakurai is a very good friend of mine and also one of the main consultants of this office,” he said. “He invented many things here, including your handy weapon-disguising-as-a-game-console. Aiba is his invention and only companion. We found him almost destroyed when we arrived in his lab and it seems like the kidnapper knew how Aiba worked.”  
   
“I cannot remember anything,” Aiba said sadly. “I should have defended Sho-chan…”  
   
“Well, how can this damn robot…”  
   
“Android, Nino, Android,” Jun corrected.  
   
“Whatever. How can _this_ help me when he cannot even protect his creator?” he asked.  
   
“I can help you in any way you like,” Aiba said. “Sho-chan programmed me to be helpful and strong and…”  
   
Jun raised a hand to stop him. “Well, you see, Aiba is actually a prototype of the future generation of agents. He can do different kinds of martial arts and can shoot anyone right on target. He is skilled in driving different kinds of vehicles and using different kinds of weapons.”  
   
“He doesn’t look like that,” Nino said as he watched Aiba place his hand inside Jun’s aquarium, playing with the fishes.  
   
“Daijoubu. He’ll be able to help you,” he said. “Just don’t let anyone touch those ears. I think Dr. Sakurai uses those ears as some kind of control. Like what happened earlier, touching them in different places can do different things. I guess that’s what the culprit did to him.”  
   
“But, Jun, I don’t need an assistant! Or a partner!”  
   
The superior sighed. “Nino, yes, you do. Remember, you almost got killed in that mission if I didn’t send some backups. A partner would be the best.”  
   
“I work alone!” he grunted.  
   
“Shut up, will you?” Jun said, being equally stubborn. “Under my orders, Aiba will be your partner starting today until the day when you’ll solve Dr. Sakurai’s case.”  
   
“Well, if that’s the case, I should rush solving this case,” Nino said with a smirk. “Hey, you,” he called out. “Let’s go.”  
   
The two of them walked towards the parking lot. “I still don’t know your name yet,” the taller man said.  
   
“Nino,” he grunted.  
   
“Then I’ll call you Nino-chan!” Aiba said happily.  
   
“Look, I don’t care, IB…”

 

“Aiba-chan is okay,” he retorted with a pout. Nino was close to laughing at that.  
   
“Get in,” he ordered his new partner, opening his handsome black car.  
   
“Where are we going?” he asked.  
   
“We’re going to Dr. Sakurai’s lab to investigate,” Nino said.  
   
Aiba nodded. “Let me drive for you. You see, I’m a good driver. I drive for Sho-chan too,” he explained.  
   
“Fine,” Nino said, curious about this guy’s ability. “Just don’t get into accidents, okay?”  
   
Aiba smiled as he went into the driver’s seat. “Seatbelt?” he asked Nino, who rolled his eyes before doing the deed. “Iku yo!” he shouted happily before zooming out of the parking lot.  
   
Nino felt like he was going to be sick. What should have been a 20-minute travel became 5 minutes. He felt like he was going to vomit. Both of them went to the abandoned mansion owned by Sakurai. “Where’s the lab?” Nino asked him. They went through the backdoor. Nino took pictures of the broken window on the front.  
   
Aiba opened the sliding frosted glass door towards the lab. It seemed clean except for the spilled coffee on the table, an overturned chair, and a smashed vault.  
   
“It seems like the person who broke in took something important from this vault,” Nino said. “Hey, do you know what was inside it?”  
   
He shook his head. “I was also forbidden to look inside that vault. But I think it’s something that’s very important.”    
   
Nino scowled. “So useful,” he muttered under his breath. The two continued investigating. Nino approached a frosted glass door. It opened easily. The undamaged door made him think that the culprit did not go through that one.  
   
“It’s Oh-chan!” Aiba shouted as he went towards the balcony where the door was leading to. Nino followed and squinted. The man on the boat looked like a dot to him already but, well, Aiba was someone different.  
   
“Who is that?” Nino said as Aiba waved to his friend.  
   
“His name is Oh-chan. He lives across that lake,” he said.  
   
Nino nodded. “Does he visit you often?”  
   
“No. but I can talk to him from here. _Like this_ ,” he demonstrated as he closed his mouth and looked at Nino directly. Nino could actually hear Aiba through his head.  
   
“That’s just great!” Nino tried to say sarcastically, trying hard to hide his amazement. “But you don’t read minds, do you?”  
   
“ _Nope. You can respond to me by saying my name first_. But I should talk to you telepathically first before you reply,” the android said with a smile. “Try it.”  
   
“Tch,” he just responded, refusing to call Aiba. “Well, we must collect evidences first before the sun sets. Say goodbye to your friend now,” he said in a serious voice. He put on his gloves and started collecting the scattered shards of glass he saw earlier. He asked Aiba to wear another pair and carry the vault to the car, covering it first with a protective plastic. They took more pictures of suspicious spots.  
   
“Nino-chan, what if we explore the other parts of the mansion? They could have entered from other parts of this room,” he suggested.  
   
“Are there any secret passages or whatever?” Nino asked.  
   
“There are three main entrances. The first one is the front door. The second one is the kitchen and the third one is this one going directly through the lab. It’s quite impossible for someone to enter the front door using that small crack on the window since there are metal bars there so they must have done something else.”  
   
Nino smirked. _“This guy is thinking,”_ he thought before they both climbed up the stairs. The house was really wonderful though it seemed unkempt even though the kidnapping just occurred a week ago.  
   
“Why is it dirty here?”  
   
“Well, Sho-chan liked to stay in his lab. He has no one but me so I was the only one who cleans the house.  
   
Nino sneered. “Well, what kind of cleaning do you perform here?” he muttered to himself.  
   
They decided to climb up to Sakurai’s bedroom. It was actually clean and there were no evidences of labwork lying around. There was an elegant bed which was already fixed but was dusty due to non-usage. There was another vault and it was destroyed the same way the lab vault was destroyed.  
   
“I always clean Sho-chan’s room after he goes down,” Aiba said. Nino ignored his stories as he inspected the bed. He found a hidden drawer under the mattress and opened it. There were photos inside of three small boys, either playing or smiling at the pictures.  
   
“Do you know these guys?” Nino asked Aiba. He shook his head. “Let’s keep this as evidence,” he decided, asking for a plastic from his assistant. Aiba was gone.  
   
“Where the hell are you?” he called out.  
   
“In here,” he heard the breathy voice say. Nino entered the next bedroom. It was covered with wallpaper of sunny and bright colors but instead of a bed, there was a metal casket in the middle. “This is my room, Nino-chan.”  
   
“So, I assume that that thing’s your bed?” he asked, feeling uneasy.  
   
“Yep. But I don’t sleep there. I’d rather use the futon,” Aiba laughed. “I only have to go there when I feel weary.”  
   
“Like a charger, I see,” Nino replied. “I think we must go now. I think the culprit also searched inside the mansion. We must not let anyone enter so that we can gather more evidences.”  
   
“I agree,” Aiba said. “We have to guard the perimeter then.”


	2. Oh-chan, Aiba's Friend

Nino woke up the next day to the smell of pancakes. He saw Aiba cook food in his kitchen. He also noticed that his forever messy flat was clean for the first time ever. Plus his week’s worth of laundry was already hanging on the clothespin in the balcony.  
   
“How many hours did you use to do this?” he asked as he sat down the low table.  
   
Aiba blinked for a while. “2 hours, 35 minutes, 22 seconds,” he said smartly. His cute ears twitched a bit. “I hope you like this breakfast, Nino-chan. That’s all I can do because you don’t have anything in the fridge.  
   
“I see. How about you?” he asked.  
   
Aiba shook his head. “If I eat, there will be no pathway for digestion. It’s a waste and I can get damaged because of that,” he explained. “Don’t worry. I have recharged earlier. I took my travel charger from the mansion yesterday too.”  
   
“There goes my electricity bill,” Nino said, rolling his eyes. “I can’t eat all of this,” pointing to the 10-storey pancake pile on the plate. “Don’t throw them. I can eat them for lunch and dinner,” he just sighed after forking a pancake.  
   
Aiba sighed as he looked at the pile that was left. Nino just ate a quarter of the food he took. He watched his new assistant as he grumpily went to his bedroom again to change clothes, his eyes noting every detail: his posture, mannerisms and such.  
   
 _“Nino-chan looks sad,”_ he thought as he started to wrap the pancakes with cling wrap and placed them inside the fridge. He followed his partner towards his workstation. Nino was observing the destroyed vault.  
   
“Look here, it seems like something small went through this hole,” he said, pointing to the small hole. “But then, the door of the vault is completely lost.”  
   
Nino looked inside the soot covered vault. He spotted a piece of burned paper and inspected it. It was almost useless until he saw a signature. “Ohno Satoshi,” he read aloud.  
   
“Eh? Oh-chan?” Aiba said.  
   
“So that’s the guy from the other side of the lake?” the short man said, pursing his lips. “Is he and Sakurai related or something?”  
   
“Well, Oh-chan never mentioned Sho-chan. Same as Sho-chan,” he replied.  
   
Nino nodded. “Can you talk to Ohno-san about this?” he asked his assistant. “We shouldn’t make it sound like it’s an interrogation. I just want to know their relation. It seems like the person who stole the contents of the vault wanted something very important to Dr. Sakurai.”  
   
***  
   
“Oh-chan!” Aiba said waving towards the man who was still in the middle of the lake.  
   
“Aiba-chan!” he responded immediately, waving back with a toothy smile. “What brings you here?”  
   
“Just… catching up,” he said, stopping himself before blurting out that this would be a secret interrogation.  
   
Ohno steered the boat towards the small wooden pier and let Aiba in. “How’s everything since… Dr. Sakurai was kidnapped?”  
   
“Ah, well, it’s a bit difficult. I’m staying with someone else while the police try to look for him,” Aiba replied sadly. “I feel so helpless that I wasn’t able to save him, Oh-chan.”  
   
Ohno nodded sadly. “That’s true,” he said. “I hope you’re doing fine, Aiba-chan.”  
   
He nodded. “I can take care of myself too,” Aiba smiled. “By the way, can I go to your home?”  
   
“Why so sudden?” Ohno responded, surprised.  
   
“I haven’t been inside your house ever since we met,” Aiba said. “I was just curious. If you don’t want to, it’s okay.”  
   
“No problem,” his short friend said before steering the boat towards the other side of the shore. They landed on the pier and a small humble house came in sight. It was an ideal lake house, though. “Here’s my home, Aiba-chan. It’s smaller than Dr. Sakurai’s but… it fits for me.”  
   
Aiba smiled when he got inside the apartment. It seemed like Ohno handpainted the walls with different trees and sceneries. In the middle of the living room was a charcoal-portrait of three boys.  
   
“Who are they?” Aiba asked as Ohno motioned him to sit on the tatami mat.  
   
Ohno looked at the portrait momentarily. “That’s me… with my two friends. They’ve been with me for the longest time. But they’re gone now.”  
   
“I see. Sorry to hear that,” Aiba replied. Ohno sat in front of him.  
   
“So, you’ve seen my small home. I can’t offer you tea or anything, I know. But I’m glad you’re around,” the man said.  
   
“How long have you been living here?” Aiba asked.  
   
“Since I was a young boy,” he replied eagerly.  
   
Aiba nodded. “Sho-chan said he has been living in that mansion since he was a young boy too,” he narrated. “By any chance, have you… met him?”  
   
Ohno stopped sipping his barley tea. He placed the cup down and looked at the drawn portrait. “Well… his family has been living in that mansion. We went to his house in the wake of his parents’ death.”  
   
“I didn’t know about that,” Aiba responded.  
   
“His parents died in a car crash.”  Ohno smiled sadly. “But he didn’t tell you that, ne?” he resumed drinking the tea.  
   
“Oh-chan,” Aiba called out moments later, breaking the silence. “Someone broke in Sho-chan’s house and took some… stuff from him. Do you have any idea about that?”  
   
“Me?” Ohno laughed dryly. “I’m just a neighbor, Aiba-chan. All I know is that their family is rich. His inheritance was big enough to make him live until the end of his life. I don’t know, but this might be a case of theft.”  
   
Ohno did not need to take Aiba back to the other side of the lake. The man turned down his offer. Aiba climbed a tall tree a kilometer away from the lake house and started jumping tree after tree. However, he did not notice that he was already in a clearing, and since there were no trees, he landed with a thud on the grass.  
   
“Itai!” he said as he sat down. His ears moved a little, helping scan the surroundings. The clearing was actually an abandoned playground, full of rusty swings, a slide with a hole in the middle, and monkey bars. There was a bench at the side, but, unlike the other parts of the forgotten playground, it was clean. Feeling something suspicious about this, he stood up and approached the bench. There were carvings, obviously made by young boys, on it. However, Aiba’s ear twitched again, making him clutch it tight due to the slight electrocuting pain he felt.  
   
He saw something at the edge of the seat.  
   
 _Property of M,S,S_  
   
“MSS?” he said. He saw a stone trail at the end of the playground, leading somewhere else, and at the edge…  
   
“Sho-chan’s shoe!” he exclaimed as he ran towards it. He looked at the trail, leading to a dark, grassy, area. He did not hesitate to run towards it.  
   
***  
   
Sho was curled up in the cold corner of his small cell, his lab gown already gray due to dirt and his glasses cracked. He was sighing and looking at the ceiling, watching some drops of water coming in from outside.  
   
“Here’s your food,” a voice said, putting the plate of cold canned soup and a small portion of rice inside Sho’s cell.  
   
“Let me out of here!” he shouted, rattling the bars.  
   
“Shut up!” the kidnapper said. Sho couldn’t see his face clearly since it was covered with a mask and a hat. “No one will hear you!”  
   
“No! Aiba-chan will surely save me! He will know that I’m here!” he said.  
   
“Oh really?” the culprit laughed. “Well, he couldn’t even sense where you are…”  
   
“What do you mean?” he said, standing up and going nearer.  
   
“I clouded his senses with a little _touch_ ,” he said in a soft voice. “He doesn’t remember anything.”  
   
Sho’s eyes widened. “Why, you…!” Sho tried to grab him through the bars. “Don’t you dare hurt him!”  
   
“Who hurt him first, Sakurai!” he said angrily. “Wasn’t it you who played with poor Aiba first? You don’t have any right to say those things!”  
   
The man left the small shack, slamming the metal door behind him and leaving Sho in the darkness.  
   
“Aiba-chan, I hope you can find me here… you’re in great danger now…” 


	3. Eyes of Glass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nino refused to have any partners after the death of his comrade and best friend in a dangerous mission. However, as Dr. Sakurai was kidnapped, he was given a new temporary partner, Android IBA-1224, Aiba-chan for short. Will Nino accept him? Will they be able to save Dr. Sakurai? And why was Aiba invented, anyway?

Aiba was surprised. After walking through the grass, he found himself standing in front of the Sakurai mansion. “I never knew that there was a playground behind,” he noted.  
   
His radio rang. “You have to be here in 10 minutes. We have some job to do,” Nino said.  
   
“Roger that,” he replied, thinking that he should resume investigating this issue the next time.  
   
***  
   
“Where have you been?” Nino asked. They were behind a big metal trash can, trying to shield themselves from the gunshots of the enemy.  
   
“Sorry about that,” he replied. He emerged from his hiding place and tried shooting the enemies while rolling towards behind the pole.  
   
“These bastards are not giving up!” Nino hissed as he reloaded his gun. He peeked to shoot them but one of them got his arm. “Kuso!” he cursed as he retreated, clutching his wounded arm.  
   
Aiba saw what happened. “Nino-chan!” he exclaimed. He looked at the goons in black and reloaded his own gun. There was a ringing in his head and his ears were twitching again.  
   
“Hey, what the hell are you doing?” he asked as he saw Aiba sprint out of from behind the pole, dodging the bullets with a lightning speed.  
   
“What is he?” they shouted as they continued, using machine guns and such. He suddenly jumped and landed on the chest of their leader and he punched him, sending him miles away.  
   
“You…!” one of them said. Aiba looked at them. Nino was surprised while watching. His usually calm and twinkling eyes became dark and deadly. He jumped and landed gracefully on the top of their armored vehicle, destroying it with one punch.  
   
“Who’s next?” he asked in a serious tone. He looked at the others with his deadly eyes and everyone dropped their weapons and ran away, screaming.  
   
“Don’t let them escape!” Nino shouted.  
   
Aiba nodded and ran after them. He was able to catch all eight members. However, as he started to tie them up, the leader came back, carrying a metal pole, ready to hit Aiba.  
   
“AIBA!” Nino shouted, trying to run towards his partner. He wasn’t listening, as if the android fell into a trance. Nino tried to stop them but he fell on the ground due to loss of balance. “Behind you!” he shouted.  
   
The android became aware of everything but the leader almost got him. But before that happened, a gunshot was heard, and the leader of the criminals fell on the ground, writhing in pain.  
   
“Nice job,” Jun said as he arrived, pocketing the gun. An ambulance was behind him. “Nino, we need to get that wound healed.” The man nodded gratefully and went to lie down on a stretcher. Aiba followed inside. Jun looked sympathetically at Aiba, who was limping a bit.  
   
“You okay, Nino-chan?” Aiba asked. His calm eyes returned.  
   
“H-hai,” Nino said in a small voice, feeling weak due to blood loss. “You okay, Aiba…chan?” he asked back, calling him by his name again.  
   
Aiba smiled, his ears twitched and he said, “Fine, very fine. I’m very happy. You called me by my name.”  
   
“You… you scared me earlier.”  
   
“Gomen ne. I lost control,” he said, scratching his head. “But don’t worry, I won’t let that happen again. It’s just…” he paused for a bit. “I don’t want anything bad to happen to Nino-chan.”  
   
“You’re a good guy.”  
   
Nino used his free arm to pat Aiba shoulder before he let himself sleep on the way to the hospital. He did not see Aiba rip a part of his shirt. He was also broken. He clutched his skin to stop the bleeding.  
   
_“Maybe I should go to the lab and repair myself,”_ he thought silently. He did not want Nino to worry so he slipped away while he was asleep.  
   
Aiba was struggling as he opened the door of the lab. He fell in front of the door. However, he was surprised to find someone help him up. “Oh-chan?”  
   
“Aiba-chan, what happened to you?” he asked. There was some electric current that went through Aiba’s malfunctioning body that Ohno accidentally released him due to shock. “Sorry…”  
   
“Gomen… I’m a bit… broken,” he replied. “Can you please help me?”  
   
Ohno just silently helped him up, not caring about the small shocks that he received. He let him sit on a stool inside the dusty lab. “Do you need anything? Gomen, I don’t know how to fix you.”  
   
“Daijoubu, Sho-chan taught me how…” he said. “Please pass that big toolbox over there.  
   
Ohno’s face darkened with sadness as he looked away and took the said box. He opened it for Aiba, who was really struggling. “Just tell me if you need some help. You look awful,” he commented.  
   
Aiba just smiled through the pain he was feeling. Sho created him like a real person, too real, in fact, that he can feel emotions and sensations. “Anou, Oh-chan. I don’t think this toolbox will work. Can you help me upstairs?”  
   
“Sure,” he smiled, finally of use to his friend. He let Aiba put his arm over his shoulder so that they could walk together towards his room.  
   
“Sho-chan left the computer here,” he said as he pushed a red button inside his room and the elegant study table revealed a computer. “Oh-chan, please help?”  
   
“Ah, hai,” he said, uncovering from his shock. Aiba lifted his nape and two sockets were revealed. Ohno looked for the socket.  
   
“Oh-chan, once you put those plugs, I will be unconscious. Please just click the repair button in the computer. If you can’t wait, you can leave that on.”  
   
“Hai, wakarimashita,” he replied as he patted Aiba before the android closed his eyes.  
   
“I hope this is okay,” he whispered to himself as he plugged the wires in him. He proceeded to the computer to start the repair process.  
   
***  
   
“Ah, you’re awake,” Jun said as he put his glasses and the newspaper down.  
   
“Where’s Aiba-chan?” Nino asked. He did not know why but the android was the first person that came out of his mouth.  
   
“He said he will be going somewhere,” Jun replied. “He’s tough,” he commented. “I didn’t know that he has that enormous strength. Now I know why Dr. Sakurai said that he will be the next generation of agents.”  
   
“Itai!” Nino exclaimed as he tried to move his arm.  
   
“You’ll be staying here for 2 weeks. That was what the doctor said. And that’s your superior’s orders too.”  
   
“I can’t do that! Got loads of work to do!”  
   
Jun smirked. “Well, like I said, those are my orders.” He went towards the door. “By the way, I think you are softening for Aiba-chan…” His smirk became a goofy smile.  
   
“Hey!” Nino shouted, not noticing that he was blushing a bit.  
   
***  
   
Aiba opened his eyes and saw Ohno sleeping on the chair beside the computer. He has been repaired overnight and his friend was still there with him. He decided to take a blanket from Sho’s room. When he entered the room, he felt dizzy. There were many voices talking inside his head. He clutched his ears, twitching madly, and tried to stroke them. _“One to the left, three to the right…”_  
   
The technique did not work. He was still hearing children’s voices. He landed on Sho’s bed and fell unconscious.  
   
_“Masaki…”_  
   
***  
   
“Idiot,” he heard a familiar sneer. He woke up inside Nino’s apartment.  
   
“Why am I here?” he asked.  
   
Nino clicked his tongue. “Your friend contacted me. He didn’t know what to do with you so he called me. Jun said I should just stroke your left ear to wake you up.”  
   
“Oh, arigatou,” he said. “And Oh-chan?”  
   
“He was scared shit, I guess,” Nino said with a smirk. “Anyway, what were you doing there?”  
   
“Ah… nothi…”  
   
Nino noticed the hole in his shirt. “You moron, look!” he said, pointing. “Don’t tell me you got damaged from that encounter…?”  
   
“No!” he denied.  
   
“You don’t need to lie. You’re an android, not superman,” he commented. “Anyway, I think you should change clothes. You stink. Well, if you can take a bath, do it,” he added.  
   
“Hai,” Aiba said sadly. He removed his shirt. Nino noticed a scar-like mark on Aiba’s belly before the android changed his shirt.  
   
“And…” Nino did not look back as he talked. He made his way towards his workstation. “Don’t ever do something irrational like that.”  
   
***  
   
_“No, don’t do it!” Nino shouted. His partner was ready to jump off the helicopter._  
   
_His partner smiled. “Nino-kun, this is the only way. We have to finish what we had started. I’ll come back, I promise.”_  
   
_“But… Toma-kun!” he roared as he did not listen to him. Toma jumped towards the small island. Nino tried to jump after him but Jun grabbed him forcefully and tied him to his seat._  
   
_“Don’t hesitate, Nino!” he shouted as he let himself fall back to the island, his parachute ready._  
   
_“He might get killed!” he told his superior. “He’s just alone in there!”_  
   
_“He disobeyed orders,” he replied. “All we can do now is hope that he can detonate that bomb…”_  
   
_There was an explosion, and Jun rushed towards the pilot’s seat. “The island is in pieces!” he said in shock. Nino could only cry silently._  
   
***  
   
Aiba peeked through the small space of the half-closed door. Nino was already sleeping, his head lying on the table. The pen was still in his hand. Aiba sighed. He opened the door and took a big blanket from the side of the room and placed it over his partner.  
   
“You’re a bit like Sho-chan,” he commented with a smile. “He always sleeps working.”  
   
He left the room silently. Nino opened his eyes, he was aware of what had happened. He smiled a bit and continued his nap.  
   
***  
   
Sho woke up from his small nap. He was still curled up at the corner of the cold room. He was surprised to see a worn-out blanket just outside his cell. He crawled weakly towards the object and placed it over him. He was really feeling cold.  
   
“Thank you,” he said to no one in particular as he went back to his dark corner. He was shivering. He did not know how long he had been staying in that prison.  
   
“Aiba-chan, I hope you can find me,” he wished before he closed his eyes, a tear coming out.  
   
***  
   
The next day was a bit boring. Aiba was looking at the window while Nino was changing the bandages on his wound; he did not want his partner to help him change.  
   
Nino’s phone rang. “Hello?” he said.  
   
“Well, if it isn’t Ninomiya…” the voice said from the other side.  
   
“Who are you?” the agent asked.  
   
The man laughed. “Well, well, a friend…”  
   
“Don’t play games with me,” Nino replied with menace. Aiba stood by his bedroom door, listening.  
   
“Let’s put an end to this,” the man said. “Don’t pretend you don’t know me…”  
   
Nino’s eyes widened with surprise as he realized who was calling him. “You!” he said. “What do you want?”  
   
“Let’s end this, once and for all,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for a year. Don’t tell me you’re scared… Don’t tell me you’re still crying over…”  
   
“SHUT UP!” Nino shouted. “I’m ready anytime,” he said. “When and where?”  
   
“Tonight. You know the place…”  
   
The call ended. Nino was panting due to anger.  
   
“Nino-chan?” Aiba called from the door. “You can’t go yet. You still have wounds.”  
   
His partner looked at him. “This is nothing,” he said. “I have to get revenge.”  
   
“Getting revenge is not a good thing!” he said, going towards Nino. “You shouldn’t think about those…”  
   
“What do you know? You’re an android. Whatever you know might just be inserted into your computer brain by Sakurai,” Nino said. “You don’t have any personality, you don’t have a heart. You don’t have a right to tell me what’s right or wrong!” He stood up and ignored him as he went to his closet to get clothes.  
   
Aiba looked down as Nino passed by him, making his way to his workroom to get his weapons. “You’re right…” he said to himself. “I’m just… manmade…” He did not notice that a tear came down his cheek. “I cannot do anything…”   



	4. Artificial Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Nino refused to have any partners after the death of his comrade and best friend in a dangerous mission. However, as Dr. Sakurai was kidnapped, he was given a new temporary partner, Android IBA-1224, Aiba-chan for short. Will Nino accept him? Will they be able to save Dr. Sakurai? And why was Aiba invented, anyway?

“Can I go out with you?” Aiba asked Sho as the scientist proceeded to take some of his plans to his car.  
   
“No, Aiba-chan, you must stay here,” he said, patting his friend’s shoulder.  
   
He pouted, and his cat ears moved. “But… I also want to see whatever is outside!” he argued. “I’m always here in this house and all I ever knew about the world came from what you tell me.” He spun around in his swivel chair.  
   
Sho removed his glasses and knelt in front of Aiba’s swivel chair, stopping it from moving. “Aiba-chan, listen,” he said, touching his cheek. “Do you believe me?”  
   
“I… of course, Sho-chan!” he said. “I always believe in you. You made me alive.”  
   
“Well, do you trust me?” he asked next.  
   
“Why are you asking silly questions?” Aiba asked, feeling uncomfortable.  
   
The scientist looked at him seriously. “Listen to every word I say, Aiba-chan, and you will surely be safe.”  
   
“Hai.”  
   
“Never talk to anyone else, understand? If they know what you are, they’ll surely be out there to get you,” he warned. “Trust me…”  
   
“Aiba-chan, are you listening to me?” Sho said, moving his face nearer. The android nodded. The scientist smiled in relief before he placed his glasses on, took his bag and the rolls of paper on the table, and left. Aiba stared at the ceiling as he kept the swivel chair spinning while listening to the roaring engine of his creator’s car.    
   
When he left, the android stayed as is, staring at the ceiling. He decided to go to the balcony facing the lake. There he saw a man fishing.  
   
_“Hey!”_ he called out, trying his new ability that Sho had implanted on him. _“Can you hear me?”_  
   
The man in the boat suddenly stopped what he was doing and stood up, facing the balcony. _“H-how did you do that?”_  
   
_“My name is Aiba-chan. What’s your name?”_  
   
***  
   
Aiba stayed inside Nino’s bedroom, thinking deeply. He was worried about his partner but he was also thinking about the things that he had said. They hurt, but he thought they were really true.  
   
“Sho-chan, is everything a lie?” he asked, putting his head down. He remained in that position, subconsciously waiting for an answer, when the doorbell rang.  
   
“It might be Nino-chan,” he said, rushing towards the door. as he peeked into the hole, he saw Jun, carrying some food.  
   
“Hey, Aiba-chan, why do you look so down?” he asked as he entered. “And where’s Ninomiya?”  
   
“He… he left earlier…” Aiba said sadly. “He told me not to interfere.”  
   
Jun frowned. “Why did he leave? He couldn’t work yet!”  
   
He told his superior about the things that he had heard. After some minutes of thinking, Jun interpreted everything. “If I’m not mistaken, this is related to something that happened five years ago.”  
   
“What happened, Jun-san?” Aiba asked curiously. “Nino-chan really looked upset after the telephone call.”  
   
“Five years ago, Nino had a partner. He was also his best friend. But he died…” Jun’s voice trailed off.  
   
“Is that the reason why he was refusing partners?” Aiba asked again.  
   
Jun nodded slowly. “He thought it was his fault, being determined to finish Takizawa off. Ikuta-san got himself killed. He fell for the trap that was supposed to be for Nino.” He frowned. “I was thinking. Maybe the guy who called him was the one who set up the bomb in the island.” He leaned on the couch. “But it’s impossible for him to go there, if that was the ‘place’ where they’re going to meet.”  
   
The superior’s phone rang. “Sir! Ninomiya stole one of the helicopters!” a man said. “I think he’s heading to the island!”  
   
“Shit!” Jun said. “I have to go and stop him then,” he said before hanging up.  
   
“Jun-san, I’ll go with you!” Aiba said, standing up.  
   
“You are not involved in this, Aiba-chan,” Jun said. “I promised myself not to get you into trouble because you are important to Sho…”  
   
“But I am Nino’s partner!”  
   
 “After what happened in that encounter, I don’t think I can assign you to be Nino’s partner anymore,” Jun said sadly. “I’m sorry, Aiba-chan. I should keep you safe.” He went out of the apartment.  
   
“I’m not that weak!” Aiba shouted angrily. “Why aren’t you letting me do anything?” His head suddenly started to hurt as the anger swallowed him. He closed his eyes as he fell on the floor, writhing in pain.  
   
“I… must… go after… Nino-chan…!” he said through gritted teeth.  
   
_“You’re not going anywhere, Masaki!”_  
   
_“And who are you to stop me? I am not your slave, Sho. And he is our friend!”_  
   
“AAAHHHHHHHH!” Aiba shouted, the pounding inside his head and the angry voices fighting at each other making the pain worse. He fainted.  
   
***  
   
“Well, you came,” the voice said. Nino looked around him in the darkness. He could not see anyone among the ruins of the past explosion.  
   
“Where are you, Takizawa?” he shouted, his voice echoing around the dark hall.  
   
“Boo,” a voice whispered in his left ear. He tried to attack him but he disappeared.  
   
Takizawa laughed. “You’re no fun, Ninomiya,” he said. “Kinda like Ikuta…”  
   
“Shut up!” he shouted. “You killed him!” he said.  
   
“Oh, really?” his opponent said in a singsong voice. “Let’s try to correct that. Why did he return to the island, anyway?”  
   
Nino froze. He remembered everything that happened that day.  
   
“Weren’t you the one who was keen on finishing this mission?” Takizawa asked. “Ikuta just did what you wanted. He finished this mission… just for…”  
   
Nino, aiming at the source of the voice, shot three times. There was a silence. The other party also tried to shoot him but he was able to duck.  
   
“I’m going to kill you!” the agent roared as he started shooting around. His opponent just laughed as Nino was not able to attack him.  
   
“You can’t see me…” he just replied. “I can see you perfectly from here…”  
   
Nino was able to jump away when he started shooting but one of them was able to wound his arm: the same arm that was injured already.  
   
“Kawaiso da…”  
   
The lights of the hall suddenly went on, making Nino squint in the sudden light. After adjusting, he saw that he was actually surrounded by many gunmen from the upper part of the warehouse, and their leader, Takizawa, was watching in the middle.  
   
They were all surprised when some of the goons fell down to the first floor, domino-style.  
   
“What the hell are you doing here?” Nino asked when he saw who was attacking them. Aiba jumped beside Nino.  
   
“I’m your partner, remember?” he said seriously. He wasn’t smiling as he took his own gun. He looked at Nino. “You’re injured again!”  
   
“Shut up,” Nino groaned. “You’re getting yourself into trouble.”  
   
“I was always trouble,” Aiba said as he loaded his gun. “I’m not weak and I’m not useless. And I’m going to prove that.” He aimed and shot some of the men before they could even attack.  
   
“You’re not,” Nino whispered to himself as they took the men down. They ran from the middle and up the stairs where more men were waiting.  
   
Aiba kicked one of them before he tried to attack them. “How did you get here, anyway?”  
   
“I know how to drive anything, remember?” Aiba said while he brawled with a large man, throwing him from the narrow metal stairs in the process.  
   
Nino just smirked as he used his two arms as leverage as he kicked another off the stairs. “Maa…” he just said.  
   
“By the way, are you okay?”  
   
“Is a guy who got shot two times in the same arm okay?” Nino grunted as they continued to make their way up the stairs.  
   
“Well, no. but you’re good, Nino-chan!” Aiba said in amazement as they finally reached the top floor. However, Takizawa wasn’t there.  
   
“He went to the rooftop!” Nino said as they saw the open door leading to the rooftop. They both ran through the door and found themselves at the top of the deserted hall. Takizawa was also there, laughing manically.  
   
“You are crazy!”  
   
“No, Ninomiya. I just can’t accept the fact that you were able to thwart my plans before. But no worries, I’ll be successful now.” He aimed his gun to the agent.  
   
“Nino-chan!” Aiba shouted.  
   
“Stand back,” he said, holding out his hand. He reloaded his gun. “This is between him and me.” Aiba just nodded as he backed away, al lthe while observing the opponent if he would use some dirty tricks.  
   
Takizawa smiled. “Ready, Ninomiya?”  
   
“As you are…” he hissed back. Nino took the opportunity to shoot his enemy. Takizawa almost got hit. “Your reflexes aren’t working well!” he shouted from behind a water tank. There were only a few hiding places in the bare rooftop.  
   
“Get out of there, Ninomiya. I was just warming up, you know,” he replied as he shot the water tank. Water squirted out of it.  
   
Aiba was hiding behind a big cement block. “Nino-chan!” he hissed.  
   
“Don’t interrupt, Aiba. This is not a mission. This is my fight,” he said seriously. “Follow that?”  
   
“Hai,” Aiba said with hesitation. “But I’ll be here.”  
   
Nino smiled a little before he got out of his hiding place, avoiding all the shots released by Takizawa as he ran to the next thing where he could hide. He released some shots, but he couldn’t really see if he was able to shoot his target or not. However, while running, he tripped on a rock, spraining his ankle.  
   
“You’re dead, Ninomiya,” Takizawa laughed.


	5. Metal Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Nino refused to have any partners after the death of his comrade and best friend in a dangerous mission. However, as Dr. Sakurai was kidnapped, he was given a new temporary partner, Android IBA-1224, Aiba-chan for short. Will Nino accept him? Will they be able to save Dr. Sakurai? And why was Aiba invented, anyway?

“Aiba-chan, I told you not to go anywhere!” Sho said angrily as Aiba was stuck inside his coffin-like bed. “I’ve been worried about you.”  
   
Aiba just looked at him blankly. “I’m sorry, Sho-chan. I… I just want to see what’s outside this mansion.”  
   
“I did not tell you to do so!” the scientist responded. “It’s very dangerous out there! You might get killed.”  
   
“I can’t get killed, Sho-chan. I’m not a human being, remember?”  
   
With those words, Sho’s anger went away. “Aiba-chan, don’t say those things. You are…”  
   
“But that’s the truth, isn’t it, Sho-chan?” he said. “Why did you make me like this if I’m not a human? Why not make me… a… a dog, or some box-shaped robot. Why did you make me look like human? I’m not even capable of feelings.”  
   
Sho went nearer and leaned down on Aiba, his face near his. “I made you so that I won’t be alone. You will be capable to feel, to be like human. I just want you by my side. I made you to love me…”  
   
“I love you, Sho-chan,” Aiba said, his eyes staring blankly. Sho did not seem to notice the emptiness of his words because he smiled with happiness before kissing the android.  
   
They did not know that someone was watching them from behind the window, his balled fists shaking angrily.  
   
***  
   
The enemy smirked and prepared the killing shot but Nino gasped in surprise when Aiba ran in front of him and placed his arms around him. The agent felt Aiba’s body twitch a bit when he received the gunshot. With lightning speed, he took Nino’s gun and turned around, shooting Takizawa.  
   
When the enemy fell, Aiba left Nino for a while, took Takizawa’s guns, and returned to Nino’s side. The young agent noticed that his balance became awful after the shot, and he was puzzled because there was a hint of red on the android’s back.  
   
“Is he alive?” Nino asked.  
   
“I think I missed his heart,” Aiba said.  
   
Nino knew that the android can shoot anyone right on target but he thought Aiba missed Takizawa’s chest in purpose. “I see. You shouldn’t have done that, Aiba-chan.”  
   
“I couldn’t let you die, Nino-chan,” he said sadly. “Come on, we have to go,” he said, putting his partner’s hand over his shoulder.  
   
“What? And you’re going to let yourself be in trouble because of me?” Nino said angrily as he pushed him away. He looked away and sighed.  
   
“But… Nino-chan…”  
   
“You’re not even human,” Nino said in a small shaky voice. “Why am I caring for you like this?” he asked himself.  
   
Aiba heard him. “Nino-chan, I just want to keep you safe. We’re… we’re partners, remember?”  
   
“THAT’S SO STUPID, ANDROID!” the agent shouted back. “You can’t always do this. I don’t want a partner who constantly takes bullets for me!” He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair. “I don’t want anyone to die because of me.”  
   
“I just want to keep Nino-chan safe…”  
   
“Why? You’re just an android, Aiba. You have no ability to care for anyone…”  
   
“But I love Nino-chan!” Aiba admitted straightforwardly.  
   
“You… what?” Nino’s anger became surprise and confusion.  
   
“I love you, Nino-chan,” Aiba repeated again. “I… I’ve always been with Sho-chan through all these years but I’ve never felt something like this. It’s confusing but I know it’s love…”  
   
“You don’t have a heart, Aiba-chan,” Nino said, pitying the android’s confusion about his own feelings.  
   
Aiba went nearer and took Nino’s hand. He placed it on his chest. Nino was surprised that it felt like a beating heart. “Can you feel it, Nino? Can you feel my heart?”  
   
Nino felt confused. His own heart was beating furiously. He pulled his hand away and shook his head, not looking into Aiba’s eyes. “No, Aiba-chan. Just… no…”  
   
The two of them were silent that whole time. Aiba was staring at Nino’s back, feeling sad and guilty. Both of them were surprised when there was a sudden strong breeze and searchlights.  
   
“Hey, you two, are you okay?” Jun shouted through the megaphone as he hung himself by the open helicopter. He jumped down before the helicopter landed on the rooftop. “I never thought this maniac is still alive,” he said as he went towards the unconscious Takizawa. He ordered his men to tie him up and bring him to the helicopter.  
   
“Jun-san,” Aiba said, pointing at Nino, who was still limping. Jun handed Nino to one of his assistants so the he could be carried to the first-aid helicopter.  
   
The superior looked at the android suspiciously. “You look pale, Aiba-chan.”  
   
He shook his head. “Daijoubu. Take Nino-chan to the hospital, Jun-san.”  
   
“I will take care of him. But I’m also worried. Is there something bothering you?” The superior held Aiba’s shoulder. “Oh no, Sho’s gonna kill me!” he said as he saw the gunshot.  
   
“I… I’m okay!” Aiba said, feeling a small bit of anger. “I’m not weak. I’m not even… human…”  
   
Jun sighed. “Aiba, did Nino say something rude to you again?” he asked.  
   
“No… he did not say anything,” he responded. “I… I need to get repaired. I should go back to the mansion.”  
   
“I’ll take you there. Come on, ride in the helicopter,” the superior said with a sympathetic smile.  
   
Aiba hopped off the chopper in front of the empty mansion. Jun helped him up to his bedroom and plugged him in. Before he was shut down, he thought of some things. He had always told Sho that he loved him but he never felt his chest beat like that. He wondered if something was wrong in him.  
   
“Rest for a while, Aiba-chan. I’m going to take care of this,” Jun said, patting his back before the android closed his eyes.  
   
Jun’s phone rang. “Oh, do I really have to go there?” he asked. “Okay, then. Send someone here in Dr. Sakurai’s mansion. I want Aiba-chan to be supervised while under repair.”  
   
A young assistant appeared. Jun handed the job to him and left the mansion immediately.  
   
The guy opened his own laptop to check his work while waiting for Aiba to get repaired. However, after a few hours, a loud alarm rang throughout the room. Worried, he stood up and went towards the central computer.  
   
DATA FORMATTING. PLEASE DO NOT SHUT DOWN  
   
“What the…?” he said. He tried to cancel the process but it did not budge. He just saw, from the screen, that new data are being inputted in place of the files deleted. “This is impossible.” He tried to do it again. As a last resort, he attempted to shut the system down. A message box appeared:  
   
SHUTTING THE SYSTEM DOWN WILL MAKE YOU LOSE ALL DATA. PROCEED? Y/N?  
   
“I… I can’t do this,” the assistant said, realizing that shutting it down will cause Aiba to forget everything. He pressed “N” and sunk down on the chair in front of the computer. He ran his hands through his hair in frustration and dread, waiting for that unknown process to end.  
   
***  
   
Sho woke up from the sound of a metal pipe being hit on the bars of his cage. “Wake up, Sakurai.”  
   
He looked up and placed his glasses on, since his eyesight was blurry without them. His eyes widened as he registered the features of the man who kidnapped him, without the mask and all. “You?”  
   
He just laughed as he squatted in front of the scientist. Sho also edged nearer. “Are you surprised, Sakurai?”  
   
“I… why are you doing this?” he asked, holding on to the bars. “We are friends, you know that.”  
   
“We _were_ friends, Sakurai. Ever since you’ve done that unforgivable evil, I forgot what it means to be friends with you,” he hissed, full of anger.  
   
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the doctor said, feeling scared.  
   
“Stop playing innocent!” he said angrily. “No one in their right mind would do that for a friend… for a loved one.”  
   
“Are you talking about Aiba-chan?” he asked. “You must be mistaken, he’s…”  
   
“He’s Masaki! What have you done, Sho? What have you done?” he said, silent tears falling down from his eyes. “He’s a good man…”  
   
“I love him. I cannot lose him,” Sho replied. “Please, please don’t do anything bad to him. I beg you…”  
   
“Don’t beg! You killed him, and now you violated him! Is this even love? Tell me!” he said, grabbing the doctor’s collar through the bars. “I hated you ever since that day. Masaki was a cheerful person. You made him insane! You are selfish…!”  
   
“I… I should have died… not Masaki…” Sho said sadly.  
   
“Yes, you should have!” the kidnapper replied. “And I’ll do that to you after I put Masaki in peace…” He let the scientist go and he made his way out of the small room.  
   
“Don’t do anything to Aiba-chan! Please!”  
   
“It’s too late, Sho. I’ve already started. He will soon realize that you’ve been feeding him lies.” He held out a chip. “You said you can never live without him. Well, me too.”  
   
“What are you…?” Sho started, confused.  
   
“Once you breathe a word about me to Aiba-chan, you will certainly never see him again.” He laughed. “Well, it’s the other way around. He will never want to see you again.”  
   
***  
   
Nino looked around him. He was alone in his apartment, his sprained ankle heavily bandaged. It was empty and silent because he did not open any lights. The only light came from the moonlight coming from the window.  
   
“This is ridiculous,” he thought as he drank a can of beer. He kept on thinking about Aiba’s words. He also hoped that the android was okay because he looked damaged after taking the bullet that should have been his. He also felt frustrated for hurting his feelings.  
   
 _“Even though he’s not human, he could also have feelings… almost like one,”_ he thought to himself. Maybe he was also harboring feelings for the man. But it was impossible. “He’s an android!” he said to no one in particular. “It’s impossible!”  
   
“What am I doing with my life?” he asked himself as he took another swig. His phone started to ring. “Yes, hello?”  
   
“Ninomiya, you better go to the office now,” Jun said in an urgent voice.   



	6. The Creator

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Nino refused to have any partners after the death of his comrade and best friend in a dangerous mission. However, as Dr. Sakurai was kidnapped, he was given a new temporary partner, Android IBA-1224, Aiba-chan for short. Will Nino accept him? Will they be able to save Dr. Sakurai? And why was Aiba invented, anyway?

Nino watched from behind the glass as Sho helped himself, eating as much as he could.  
   
“He had been missing for about two weeks,” Jun, who was beside him, said. “You got what you want now, right? Aiba-chan will have to return to him.”  
   
“Well… that’s good, isn’t it?” Nino said more to himself than to Jun. He forced a smile to Jun.  
   
Jun looked at Sho. “I don’t know what Aiba would feel,” he admitted.  
   
“His creator is already here. He would feel… happy… of course,” Nino said, unsure.  
   
“To tell you the truth, Sho is very protective to Aiba. Even though Aiba-chan isn’t weak, even though he was created with a lot of great abilities, he cannot leave the mansion. The first time he got out of that place was the day we took him in. I wonder…” He patted the agent’s shoulder before joining Sho inside the interrogating room.  
   
“But… Aiba will return… home…” Nino said, trying to convince himself. He limped towards his office, leaving the boss and the scientist to talk to each other.  
   
***  
   
Jun said that Sho would have to stay in a hospital first for a general check up. Nino took the opportunity to go to the mansion and visit Aiba. He did not see him in the lab so he proceeded upstairs, towards Aiba’s room.  
   
“Aiba-chan?” Nino called out. The bed was empty but the systems were all working. He looked at the central computer and saw the flashing message:  
   
TRANSFER COMPLETE  
   
“What is this?” Nino hissed. He took out his gun, prepared for any combat, and walked slowly (he still had the sprain) out of the room. He was hoping that the android was safe. But he was also thinking how the doctor escaped easily.  
   
“Please be safe… please be safe…” he muttered to himself as he went out of the mansion towards the garden overgrown with bushes.  
   
“Nino-chan!” a familiar voice shouted.  
   
He sighed with relief. Nino turned around to see his former partner, sitting by the waterwall, looking at the sunset. “Here!” he beckoned the agent to sit beside him. When they were seated, Aiba started to talk. “It feels so good, right?”  
   
“Yeah,” Nino just said. “By the way, are you okay?” he asked.  
   
“Never better,” Aiba replied as he stretched his arms. “Ne, Nino-chan?”  
   
“Yes?”  
   
“I’m going to miss you.” His words struck Nino’s heart. He felt happy and sad at the same time. Aiba grinned as he waited for an answer. “Come on, Nino-chan. We’ve been partners for quite a while, aren’t you going to say a speech?”  
   
“Won’t we… see each other again?” Nino asked.  
   
The android threw some stones and stared at the lake. “I… I’m afraid not. My place is beside Sho-chan. That is the reason why I was made. What I told you before… just pretend you did not hear it. You don’t even…”  
   
Nino pounced on Aiba as he kissed him earnestly. The android was surprised too but as the agent touched his lips, he closed his eyes. _“This feels very different,”_ he thought. _“Very different from Sho-chan’s kisses.”_  
   
Nino ended the kiss and sat up. He stuttered and refused to look at Aiba. “I… I think I’m beginning to… to like… you too,” he said.  
   
Aiba smiled happily. “You should have said that earlier!”  
   
“Shut up!”  
   
“Nobody would hear us, Nino-chan!” Aiba reminded jokingly. His smile faded a bit. “But I don’t think I would see you again…”  
   
“I… I understand. The two of us… it is impossible, isn’t it?” Nino said, throwing rocks to the lake too.  
   
“But being with you is the happiest experience that I could ever remember,” Aiba said with a large smile that also made Nino smile genuinely. “I’ll try to talk to you sometimes…”  
   
“I hope you won’t give Dr. Sakurai the same trouble you have given me.”  
   
“He never lets me do anything dangerous, anyway,” Aiba said. “I like being an agent. I thought I have become useful when I started doing missions with you.” He looked at Nino again. “Thank you, Nino-chan, for making me feel like that.”  
   
Nino looked at the android. His sparkling eyes were dim and sad. He forced a small smile. “So this is like a goodbye?”  
   
From afar, Sho watched the duo talk. Jun placed his hand on the scientist’s shoulder. “Sho…”  
   
He shrugged the hand off and stormed his way to the two. “Hey, Aiba-chan…” he said, trying to smile.  
   
Aiba looked around and saw his long-time companion. “Sho-chan!” he said happily. He ran towards the scientist and hugged him tight. “I missed you! What happened? Are you injured? Did you see the kidnapper’s face? How did you escape?”  
   
He just flooded Sho with questions but the latter ignored. “Thank you for taking care of Aiba-chan,” he said, bowing in front of Nino.  
   
“It’s nothing. He can take care of himself,” Nino said, patting Aiba’s shoulder. “I should thank you for creating something like him.” He beamed. “Bye, Aiba-chan,” he said, waving as he made his way towards Jun, who was waiting at the end of the garden.  
   
“Bye, Nino-chan!” Aiba waved. Nino did not look back. The android tried to hide his sadness as Sho held his wrist quite painfully, motioning him inside.  
   
Nino was silent as they went back to the office. Jun was looking at the window. “You seem upset, Ninomiya,” he said with a small smirk. “I thought you wanted to get rid of Aiba-chan as early as possible.”  
   
“How did the scientist escape? Did he tell you?” he asked, looking at his superior.  
   
“Well, he said he couldn’t speak about what happened because Aiba will be in great danger,” he simply said.  
   
“That’s suspicious,” Nino said. “Earlier, I saw Aiba’s central system. There must have been some weird data transfer. It might be a virus. Aiba-chan’s in danger!” he said in realization.  
   
Jun looked at his subordinate. “Ninomiya, it is none of our business now. Dr. Sakurai’s already safe.”  
   
“Well, what if something happens to Aiba?”  
   
“Sho would be able to do something about that,” Jun replied with a stern voice. “You have to cut your connection with Aiba-chan, Nino.”    
   
“But…!” he started but as he looked at Jun’s eyes, he shut up.  
   
***  
   
“I missed you so much, Aiba-chan,” Sho said, hugging his companion tightly.  
   
“Me too,” Aiba said, smiling a little. He felt sad inside since that also meant that he would not be able to go outside. “Sho-chan, what happened to you? We’ve been trying to look for you.”  
   
Sho just shook his head. “The important thing is that we’re together again,” he said seriously.  
   
His touch felt awkward so Aiba decided to change the topic.“I’m going upstairs. Your room should be clean before you sleep there. Gomen ne… I left it dirty.” He let out a dry laugh.  
   
Sho just looked at the android as he made his way upstairs. He sighed sadly. “That agent, huh?” he said to himself.  
   
Aiba fixed Sho’s bed. He happened to see a box, the same box that Nino saw weeks before. He opened it curiously and saw pictures. The pictures contained three boys.  
   
“Are?” he said in wonder.  
   
“Aiba-chan? Can I go upstairs now?” Sho’s voice from the bottom of the stairs asked.  
   
“Ah… wait! Wait! Not yet!” he said as he urgently pocketed one of the pictures. He hid the box hurriedly before putting the new bedcovers. He went out of the bedroom to meet the scientist.  
   
“Wow, how many minutes?” Sho asked jokingly.  
   
The android smiled. “2 minutes and 3 seconds,” he boasted. “Faster than last time.”  
   
“Yeah,” Sho said as he entered his bedroom. He let himself fall down on the soft bed, now covered with pure white cotton sheets. “I missed sleeping on my bed,” he said, stretching on it.  
   
“Good night, Sho-chan,” Aiba said, making his way out of the door.  
   
“Good night, Aiba-chan,” he replied as he let himself sleep.  
   
Aiba immediately went to his room after closing the door to observe the picture that he had discovered. He looked at the photo of the three smiling boys.  
   
“Wait a minute…” he said, looking at it carefully. He flipped the photo and saw three letters: _“M S S”._  
   
“These are the same boys in Oh-chan’s portrait!” he said to himself. “MSS? The engraving on that bench!” He made his way towards the garden, where he discovered the pathway towards the old playground.  
   
He saw the clearing and ran towards the engraving. He knelt in front of it. “What is this? What are these things?” he said, then looking at the photograph. He started to cry, surprising himself because of his ability.  
   
“This is the truth,” a voice from behind him said. He looked behind him and gasped in surprise.  



	7. Fake Realities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Nino refused to have any partners after the death of his comrade and best friend in a dangerous mission. However, as Dr. Sakurai was kidnapped, he was given a new temporary partner, Android IBA-1224, Aiba-chan for short. Will Nino accept him? Will they be able to save Dr. Sakurai? And why was Aiba invented, anyway?

“Oh-chan?” he said, surprised. “What do you mean? I thought you’re not related with Sho-chan. Why did you have the same photos?”  
   
“We were, Aiba-chan, I mean, Masaki.”  
   
“Masaki?”  
   
“Masaki, Sho, and Satoshi. We were the three boys who played in this forsaken playground,” the man said, walking towards Aiba. “We were friends…”  
   
“It’s impossible, Oh-chan. Maybe you’re mistaken. Sho-chan invented me…”  
   
“That bastard did not invent you! He killed you!” Ohno roared.  
   
“He killed me? That’s impossible!” Aiba said, covering his ears. Tears were still pouring down his face. “I’m not even human!”  
   
Ohno ran towards him and held his face, making the taller man look at him. “You’re crying! You have tears! You have a heart! You’re human!”  
   
“NO!” he pushed Ohno away. He walked back towards the mansion.  
   
Ohno did not run after him but he shouted. “He removed your heart, your feelings, and your memories to own you fully. But I returned all of them to you, Masaki. You will find out the truth soon enough.” He walked back towards his house.  
   
***  
   
Aiba went inside his bedroom. He placed his hand on his ears, trying to block the different voices inside his head. Someone infiltrated into his system that caused him the discomfort. He had no choice but to plug himself in to try to format the system.  
   
***  
   
 _“Masaki!” a voice called out from afar._  
   
 _“Hey, wait for me, the other boy said. They both ran towards the swing. It only had two seats, so the first two would only be able to play._  
   
 _“Hey, you lost!” Masaki shouted at the short guy who was not able to sit on the swing. The little boy sighed and he proceeded to do the loser’s job: pushing the swings._  
   
 _Sho laughed loudly as the short boy continued to push the swing. Masaki went down from his swing. “Toshi-chan, you can ride here, too,” he said._  
   
 _***_  
   
 _The three boys, all wearing black suits, looked at the tombstone of Sho’s parents, surrounded by white roses and lilies. Beside the large tombstones were smaller and humbler ones, belonging to Aiba’s parents._  
   
 _“You won’t leave me alone, right?” Sho asked. He held Aiba’s hand._  
   
 _“I’m just across the lake, Sho-chan,” Ohno said, patting his friend’s shoulder. Sho leaned on Aiba’s shoulder and the taller boy sniffed and wiped his tears away._  
   
 _***_  
   
 _“I love Sho-chan,” Aiba admitted to Ohno. “And he said he feels the same way too!” The latter just stared blankly to the water, holding his fishing rod. “Oi! You’re not paying attention!” he said, laughing as he sat beside his friend._  
   
 _“I’m very happy for you,” Ohno replied, giving a small smile. “I hope Sho will take care of you…”_  
   
 _“Of course, Satoshi. Don’t feel so sad. You’re still my best-est friend!” Aiba said, hugging._  
   
 _“Getoff me! There’s a fish!” he said as he felt something tug._  
   
 _***_  
   
 _“Where are you going?” Sho asked as he saw his lover by the door._  
   
 _Aiba closed the door again. “I was just making my way to the city. Some of my friends called and they…”_  
   
 _“No,” Sho replied. “You won’t leave.”_  
   
 _“What do you mean? I’ve not seen them for years, Sho-chan. Maybe it’s okay for me to…”_  
   
 _Sho stormed downstairs and grabbed Aiba by the hair. “No! You’ll stay here. You can never leave. You will never leave me!” he said. He dragged the young man to his lab and took some chains. He wound it around Aiba’s wrist, making him groan in pain as he tightened them._  
   
 _“I will never leave you, Sho. You don’t need to do this,” Aiba said. “It hurts!” he complained as Sho fastened the chain to the window bars._  
   
 _“No! I can’t let you leave! You might not return to me,” he said. He caressed Aiba’s cheek. “I love you, Masaki. Please don’t cry,” he said. “I’m doing this for us…”_  
   
 _***_  
   
 _“Sho-chan, no!” Aiba pleaded. Sho pushed him towards the wall._  
   
 _Sho was crying but his face was full of anger. “I thought you loved me,” he said._  
   
 _“I do! That’s not what you think! Satoshi’s just my friend! Our friend!”_  
   
 _“Stop it! Stop it!” Sho said. “You’re mine, Masaki. You’re only mine!” he said as he claimed his lips violently. “I don’t want you going anywhere near him!” he ordered._  
   
 _Aiba cried, trying to get away. “It hurts!” he complained, as his lover acted rough on him. “Let me go! Please!”_  
   
 _“No! You’ll stay here!” Sho said. He took the chains nearby and proceeded to tie Aiba._  
   
 _“I don’t want this anymore, Sho!” he said. The younger man managed to open the door towards the garden. He wanted to run towards Ohno’s lake house. The rain started to pour down hard._  
   
 _Sho chased after Aiba, still carrying the chains in his hands. “Satoshi! Satoshi!” Aiba cried out, the water weighing his clothes down. The ground became slippery and he fell on the ground._  
   
 _“Stop fighting!” Sho said as he knelt down to try to tie Aiba._  
   
 _“Please, Sho, don’t do this,” Aiba pleaded crying. “I’m not your toy.”_  
   
 _“I’m doing this for us,” he said, touching his cheek._  
   
 _“No, Sho. You’re only doing this for yourself,” Aiba said, looking at him with sympathetic eyes. Sho realized what he had done._  
   
 _“I’m sorry, Masaki. I’m so sorry,” he said as though he was crazy. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” He took a pocket knife from inside his clothes as he planned to stab himself._  
   
 _“NO!” Aiba shouted, trying to take away Sho’s knife. They struggled. “This is not the way to end this, Sho,” he said, trying to calm him down. “Stop this nonsense!”_  
   
 _“I did a lot of bad things to you, Masaki,” he said. “I don’t deserve to live!”_  
   
 _“No, Sho. Stop it! Don’t do this!”_  
   
 _They fought for the knife, rolling on the mud as Aiba tried to take the sharp knife. In the process, he got his cheek cut. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Sho cried to him. He finally got the knife but as Aiba tried to take it away from him, the older man accidentally slipped and stabbed Aiba on the belly._  
   
 _“Masaki?” he said, surprised. He removed the knife from his stomach and it started bleeding profusely. But blood also came out from his lover’s mouth._  
   
 _“Sh…Sho-chan…” he stuttered, using his remaining strength. Sho was at loss. He did not know what to do. He was out of focus that he did not know what to do with Aiba. “I… it’s all… my fault…”_  
   
 _“No! No, Masaki…! This is all my fault!” he touched his cheek. “Don’t die! Don’t die! You love me, right? You said you won’t leave me!” he cried, shaking the dying man._  
   
 _“I…I’m sorry… I can’t keep…my…p-promise…” Aiba said before he closed his eyes. His hand fell from its grasp on Sho’s shirt._  
   
***  
   
Ohno sat on a chair inside his house. He stared at the charcoal painting of him and his two friends. “What have you done, Sho?” he said, tears falling down his cheeks. “Masaki was a very good person. How can you do this to him?”  
   
He closed his eyes and remembered.  
   
***  
   
 _“Masaki, are you okay?” Ohno asked as the other man was silently staring at the lake. Both of them were inside Ohno’s boat. It was already sunset._  
   
 _The man did not seem to hear him. “Masaki,” he repeated again, patting his shoulder._  
   
 _Aiba almost jumped in surprise as he did so. “Ah, Satoshi, is there something wrong?”_  
   
 _“You answered my question with another question,” he replied, looking worried. “Let’s go home.” He happened to touch Aiba’s wrist and the other guy hissed in pain._  
   
 _“Watch it!” he said, pulling his hand away. “Sorry, Satoshi. I…”_  
   
 _The concerned friend took his hand and lifted the sleeves of Aiba’s jacket. “What happened?” he asked, looking at some funny marks that seemed to have scarred already on his friend’s skin._  
   
 _Aiba pulled his hand away. “I… it was an accident! In the garden!” he said, a bit agitated. They were already by the pier. “Bye, Satoshi. See you next time,” he waved urgently as he hopped off the boat and ran towards the house._  
   
 _“Accident? That was an accident?” Ohno whispered to himself. He felt worried for Aiba._  
   
 _***_  
   
 _“You killed him!” a voice said. Ohno came running from the other side of the playground. “What did you do?”_  
   
 _“I didn’t do anything!” Sho said. “He’s still alive! I’ll save him.”_  
   
 _“No, you killed him!” Ohno said, trying to take Aiba’s dead body. Sho punched him and carried Aiba’s body, leaving Ohno on the mud._  
   
***  
Nino looked at the vault that he had collected in the Sakurai mansion. He reached out inside, trying to look for more evidence. He happened to touch something. Dragging the object out, he saw that it was another note. It was not really that burnt since the material was not paper. He placed the note under the light and read it carefully.  
   
AIBA MASAKI  
   
“Aiba Masaki?” Nino said. “Is he someone related to Aiba-chan?” he asked himself. He went to his voice-activated computer. “Tell me, can you search through the records for a man named Aiba Masaki?”  
   
“Searching…” the system replied.  
   
After a few minutes, results came in. three entries appeared. Nino proceeded to look at the three entries.  
   
Upon clicking the third one...  
   
 _Name: Aiba Masaki_  
 _Birthplace: Chiba, Japan_  
 _Birthdate: December 24, 1982_  
 _Date of death: January 10, 2004_  
   
“Any background information about him?” Nino asked, curious.  
   
 _“His parents worked for the Sakurai family for ten years. They, along with the parents of Sakurai Sho, were killed in a car accident when he was 13 years old.”_  
   
“I won’t believe that Ohno Satoshi has no connection to this,” Nino said, looking at the other piece of evidence, the paper carrying Aiba’s friend’s name. “I have to go see him.”  
   
It was already late at night when he arrived at Ohno’s doorstep. Half-drunk, the older man answered the door.  
   
“What are you doing here?” he asked.  
   
“I need to ask you something,” Nino said. Not waiting for his reply, the agent stepped inside the house. He saw the charcoal portrait. “I knew it!” he said, pointing his finger to the painting.  
   
“You’ve finally discovered. I think you’re really smart,” Ohno said, sitting on one of the chairs. “Is there something you need?”  
   
“Who are you? And what is your connection to Dr. Sakurai?” Nino asked. “Were you the one who kidnapped him?”  
   
Ohno laughed. Nino just looked at him, ready for any assault. “Yes, yes,” he said. “You really are smart, Ninomiya-san.”  



	8. Human Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Nino refused to have any partners after the death of his comrade and best friend in a dangerous mission. However, as Dr. Sakurai was kidnapped, he was given a new temporary partner, Android IBA-1224, Aiba-chan for short. Will Nino accept him? Will they be able to save Dr. Sakurai? And why was Aiba invented, anyway?

“Then I will arrest you,” the man said.  
   
“Well, you will arrest me?” Ohno said. “Sakurai did something worse than me. Why don’t you go to him first?”  
   
“What?”  
   
“Did you ever wonder why Aiba-chan, an android, is capable of human feelings? Did you know why he was created? Did you know why you will never see him again after Sakurai returned?”  
   
“What do you mean?”  
   
“Look!” Ohno said, pointing to the tallest boy in the middle of the painting, his twinkling and happy eyes familiar to Nino. “That is Aiba Masaki, my best friend.”  
   
“Aiba Masaki?” Nino voiced out again. “I don’t understand…”  
   
“Don’t you? Or are you pretending not to?” Ohno asked as he walked nearer the painting. “I broke into the mansion, deactivated Aiba, and kidnapped Sakurai so that he will not know my plans!”  
   
“What plans? What did you do? Were you the one who infiltrated Aiba’s system?”  
   
“I did not infiltrate his system!” Ohno shouted. “I restored him! I brought the real Aiba back!” He took something from a box nearby and held out a microchip wrapped in a glass case. “I broke in the vaults and stole these data. I destroyed the one that Sho kept on using for Aiba and replaced it with another one: his real memories and feelings.”  
   
“You… you did that?” Nino asked him.  
   
“You could arrest me or kill me, Ninomiya. But the only thing I care about is Masaki. I’m not gonna let some crazy scientist play with his body. He’s already dead!” He broke down and cried, covering his face.  
   
“What do you mean dead?”  
   
“Sho killed Masaki because he was so jealous. He was hurting my friend!” Ohno said. “It’s so ironic how a criminal was able to become in touch with such a careful agency,” he said with a sneer. “That bastard killed Masaki with his own hands! He stabbed him! And then he placed all those machines inside of him to make him live!” Ohno sunk down to the floor. “It’s all unfair… Poor Masaki…”  
   
“I can’t believe…” Nino started. He remembered that time when Aiba lifted his shirt. He remembered the scar on his belly.  
   
_“Can you feel it, Nino? Can you feel my heart?”_  
   
Nino’s tears started flowing too. “I must go speak to Aiba-chan,” he said, rushing towards the door.  
   
Ohno wiped his tears as he looked at the man running away from his house, towards the Sakurai mansion. “I’m glad, Masaki. I’m glad that there’s someone who loves you for real.”  
   
***  
   
“How could you do this to me, Sho-chan?” Aiba said. Sho was backing towards the headboard of his bed.  
   
Sho tried to look oblivious. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “Are… are you feeling unwell, Aiba-chan?”  
   
“Stop it! Stop it!” the android said. “I’m not falling for your traps again! You’ve been playing with me all along!”  
   
“No! You… you don’t understand… Masaki!” Sho ducked. However, instead of hitting the scientist, Aiba hit the headboard, destroying it. “You cannot hurt me. I made you and I know what to do with you!” Sho said, dragging Aiba.  
   
The android felt weak with one touch of his ear. Sho dragged him downstairs, deaf to all of Aiba’s painful pleas.  
   
“What are you doing?” Aiba asked.  
   
“I never thought I would have to do this again to you,” he said. From a nearby cupboard, he took out his old, rusty chains, the old chains that he had used to bind Aiba when he felt that his love would leave him.  
   
“Don’t do this, Sho!” Aiba said. He had remembered those awful times. “I’m not going to leave you. Don’t do this!”  
   
“NO!” Sho roared. “Don’t pretend, Masaki. I know, from your eyes, I know that you’ve been dying to leave me! Is it Ninomiya?”  
   
Aiba appeared shocked. “Wh-what are you talking about?” he stuttered.  
   
“You ‘re going to leave me for him, aren’t you?” the crazy scientist shouted. “I won’t let you! You’re only mine! Mine!” He left the android in the lab.  
   
“Somebody! Help!” he shouted, kicking what he could reach. Sho really knew how to make him work since he could not use his strength to untie himself. He used his last resort.  
   
“I don’t know if it will still work after what Sho did but I’ll try,” Aiba told himself. He closed his eyes and concentrated. _“Nino-chan! Nino-chan!”_  
   
Nino was running towards the mansion. He was a bit lost since he had never used that route before. “I should have borrowed Ohno’s boat!” he said as he panted.  
   
_“Nino-chan! Help me!”_  a familiar voice said.  
   
“Aiba-chan!” he shouted. “Where are you?”  
   
“ _I’m here, inside the mansion! Help me! Sho’s becoming crazy and I don’t know what to do!”_ he replied in his head. Nino could also hear whimpers of pain in his head.  
   
Nino immediately rushed, trying to find his way towards the mansion. He finally found a grassy, abandoned track that led him to the backdoor in the garden. The moon was full and it was making everything brighter.  
   
“I’m coming for you, Aiba-chan,” Nino said, loading his gun before he entered the mansion. He was met with darkness inside. He could not hear Aiba anymore. He walked carefully, his gun ready, towards the laboratory.  
   
“He’s not here,” Nino said. Then he entered noises from upstairs. “Aiba-chan!” he said, his eyes widened. He immediately ran upstairs. He entered the android’s bedroom.  
   
“Nino-chan! Why did you go here?” Aiba shouted. Nino looked at the poor state of his partner. 

 


	9. Programmed Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

>  Nino refused to have any partners after the death of his comrade and best friend in a dangerous mission. However, as Dr. Sakurai was kidnapped, he was given a new temporary partner, Android IBA-1224, Aiba-chan for short. Will Nino accept him? Will they be able to save Dr. Sakurai? And why was Aiba invented, anyway?

“Get out of here! Fast!” Aiba said. He was plugged in his device. He could not move too.  
   
Sho emerged from the shadows, clapping his hands slowly. “Wow. I did not know you’d fall for that,” he said. “Aiba did not call you.” He pointed to himself. “I did.”  
   
“You!” Nino said. Before he could move, he was suddenly pinned to the wall by some snake-like wires. “Let me go!” Another wire went around his neck.  
   
“I can’t believe that you’re going to leave me for this brat,” Sho told Aiba, stroking his cheek.  
   
Aiba looked at Nino. “Let him go, Sho. He doesn’t have anything to do here!”  
   
“He does! He’s going to take you away from me!” the mad scientist shouted. “I won’t let you go,” he said with a smirk, going towards the central computer. He moved a lever up, sending electric shocks to the agent. Nino screamed in pain.  
   
“Stop it, Sho! Stop it!” Aiba pleaded. He couldn’t bear seeing Nino hurt. “Please, don’t do this to him. Hurt me instead!”  
   
“I couldn’t hurt you, Masaki. But since you’re asking for it,” Sho pressed another button, sending excruciating pain through Aiba’s body.  
   
“Aiba!” Nino shouted. He looked painfully as the android experienced some convulsions. When Sho pressed the button again, the torture ended, leaving Aiba limp with his head hanging down.  
   
“You have to choose, Masaki,” Sho said. “I’ll let him go…” he turned on the lever on Nino’s torture device, causing him to scream in pain again, “… if you’ll stay with me forever.”  
   
“No, Aiba, no!” Nino shouted through the pain. “He’ll just hurt you! I’d rather get hurt myself! AHHHH!”  
   
“Stop it, Sho… please…” Aiba cried, his voice hoarse and weak. “Don’t hurt him. I’ll… I’ll stay with you…”  
   
Sho’s eyes widened. He turned the device off and ran towards Aiba, holding his hand. “Really? Masaki, you’ll never leave me?” he asked with a smile. Aiba nodded weakly.  
   
“Don’t let him hurt you, Aiba!” Nino shouted. “You’re… you’re more important!” Nino said. “Being alone inside this dark place all of your life… Someone like you doesn’t deserve this!”  
   
The scientist looked at the agent. “How dare you! I gave him everything!”  
   
“Everything? You did not give him happiness!” Nino spat, making Sho freeze. “I don’t know anything about Masaki but doing this to someone you really love is unforgivable!” He shook his head. “You don’t know the meaning of love, Dr. Sakurai. You’re just selfish. You’re only thinking about yourself.”  
   
“Stop it, Nino. Don’t say anything anymore!” Aiba cried. He watched in horror as Sho, in anger, grabbed a gun from his pocket. “Sho, no!”  
   
Nino closed his eyes, ready for the gunshot. However, after the sound of the gun, everything became silent. “Am… am I alive?” he asked himself.  
   
When he opened his eyes, he saw Jun, and beside him was Ohno. “I didn’t know that we were letting a freak scientist into our organization. Thanks to Ohno-san.” The shorter man bowed. He knelt near the unconscious body. “Luckily, those are rubber bullets. Not really fatal but it can knock you unconscious.” He kicked the body so that Sho would be lying on his back.  
   
“Thank you, Oh-chan,” Aiba told his friend as he removed the wires from him. His friend just smiled. Ohno silently patted his shoulder and tilted his chin towards the agent who was being helped by Jun.  
   
“Nino-chan, daijoubu?” Aiba asked as he ran towards Nino.  
   
Nino smirked. “Fine. I feel great!” he said sarcastically. “You caused too much trouble, you,” he said, ruffling Aiba’s hair. “Let’s go home.”  
   
“Home?”  
   
“Well, you don’t want to stay here of course!” the agent said with a snort. “Let’s go.” He held Aiba’s hand and dragged him gently. At first, the android’s eyes were wide with shock but afterwards, he gave a toothy smile.  
   
***  
   
Sho woke up inside his bedroom. Everything was white: his wallpaper had been restored to its former glory, the white curtains were being blown away by the breeze, and he was lying on his elegant four-poster bed with white lace hangings and covers.  
   
He sat up, confused. The mansion was eerily silent but it emanated an aura of peacefulness. He stood up from his bed, slipped on a pair of slippers, and went out of the room. “Masaki?” he called out, but he could not hear any reply. As he entered the other bedroom, he was surprised. There were no devices around; it was just a plain bedroom, as clean and white as his own. Masaki wasn’t there.  
   
He decided to go downstairs. It seemed like someone cleaned and renovated the mansion, bringing it back to its former appearance: that time when all he thought of was studying and playing with his friends. He went down the hallway and saw that the old decorative tables were full of pictures in frames. He picked one and saw that they hold his pictures along with Aiba and Ohno. He kept on walking and at the end of the mansion that was supposed to be his laboratory, there was a library with three cozy armchairs and a circular table in the middle. Hanging at the wall in between the two shelves was a charcoal painting of the three children.  
   
“Sho-chan…” a voice from outside called out.  
   
“Masaki!” he said, glad that his love was still there. He opened the backdoor from the library and found himself in the garden, as beautiful as ever. He found Aiba sitting at the waterwall by the lake.  
   
“Sho-chan!” he waved, beckoning the scientist to sit beside him. “Do you love what I did with the place?”  
   
“What? You did… all of that?”  
   
Aiba smiled and nodded. “I wanted to you to remember the old times, the times when we were so happy that we never shed a tear, the times when we can sit inside the library and read books, the time when we can just sit here and watch the sunsets.” He sighed. “We were so happy back then…”  
   
Sho remembered what Nino shouted at him the past night and shed a tear. “I… I’m so sorry, Masaki…”  
   
Aiba placed an arm around him and pulled Sho closer. “I’m sorry too… I… I did not know how to make you feel better. I made you forget about the happy times. I was just thinking about myself. I was lying to myself that we’re happy.”  
   
“I caused so much… so much pain to you. I was just afraid that you’re going to leave me. I lost otou-san and okaa-san. I can’t bear to lose you too!”  
   
“But it’s not just the two of us, ne?” Aiba said, holding his friend’s shoulders. “We also have Oh-chan. We have been friends ever since.”  
   
Sho buried his face in his hands. “I thought he’s going to take you from me,” he cried. “I was so wrong…”  
   
“Yes, you are,” Aiba said, looking at the lake. “He was always there for me when I felt sad and I know that he would also be when you are. But you refused his help.”  
   
Sho realized. “Were you really that unhappy that you needed to see him always?” he asked. “When you look at me, you still smile but I didn’t realize that it was not the same smile. I was so… consumed with my work.”  
   
“Ah… Sho-chan didn’t really notice,” Aiba said, laughing it off.  
   
“And I killed you! I didn’t mean to, Masaki,” Sho started crying again.  
   
“I know. It was an accident,” Aiba said.  
   
They remained like that for a while, Sho leaning on Aiba’s shoulder, as they watched the sunset together. “It’s almost ending…” the taller man whispered.  
   
“What do you mean? You’re leaving?” Sho asked. He embraced him tight, determined not to let Aiba go.  
   
He laughed. “Silly, you can’t stop me from going by doing that,” he told Sho, all the while patting him.  
   
“Then take me with you,” Sho replied. “I won’t let you go.”  
   
“You still have a lot of things ahead of you, Sho. It’s still too early for you. You need to stay,” Aiba said. He handed a sunflower on Sho’s hand. “I love you, Sho-chan.”  
   
“I love you and I will love you with all my life,” he replied. Slowly, Aiba faded away like glittering dust. The sun had already set.  
   
Sho woke up inside his bedroom again. “It was all a dream,” he said, shaking his head. However, he was surprised when he found a flower vase at his bedside with a single sunflower stalk inside it. He stood up and looked at it.  
   
“Masaki…”  
   
***  
   
“I asked you two to come here so that I can talk to you,” Jun said. He pointed to the tea and cakes that were on the guest table. “Oh, sorry, Aiba-chan couldn’t eat.”  
   
“You’re teasing me, Jun-chan!” Aiba pouted.  
   
Jun laughed. “Anyway, this is a serious matter. Aiba-chan. Would you like to stay the way you are?”  
   
Nino blinked. “What do you mean, Jun-san?”  
   
“Well, we are now aware that Dr. Sakurai didn’t make Aiba from scratch. He was made from Aiba Masaki’s body and fitted with life-giving devices as well as a computer for brain function.”  
   
“So you’re saying?”  
   
“If he wants to, we can shut down the systems entirely and give the body a proper burial,” Jun said sadly. “That is the only thing that we can do.”  
   
Nino stood up. “Nino-chan?” Aiba called.  
   
“If that’s the right thing to do, I can’t say anything to make it stop. It’s his body, anyway,” the agent said before he stormed out of the room.  
   
“Aiba-chan?” Jun asked the android.  
   
“Jun-chan, even though I remembered my life as Aiba Masaki, I am still Aiba-chan,” he said. “I… I can’t just leave Nino alone. I care for him so much and I think he also feels the same.”  
   
Jun smiled. “It’s been a long time since Nino felt that he doesn’t need to be alone.” He stood up and looked at the window. “It’s really quite difficult to be alone,” he said with a nod. He looked at Aiba again. “I respect your decision. And with that, I also restore your position as an agent and as Ninomiya Kazunari’s partner.”  
   
“YATTA!” Aiba shouted with joy as he punched his fists to the air. “I must go and tell Nino about this! Ja ne, Jun-chan!”  
   
“See you later,” the superior said as he sat back in his chair and while smiling, continued his paperwork.  
   
Aiba looked for Nino around the office. He then found his partner on the rooftop, lying on the ground, facing the sun. “Nino-chan!”  
   
“Aiba-chan?” he said, confused. He sat up. “What are you doing here?”  
   
“Jun-chan made me an agent again!” he said happily. “I’m going to be your partner forever!” He rushed towards him and hugged his new partner, causing Nino to fall down the ground.  
   
“That hurts!” Nino complained. “But… what did you say?”  
   
“Jun-chan restored me to the agency. I can be your partner again,” Aiba said with a smile.  
   
“But… what about your body?”  
   
Aiba shook his head. “I am IBA-1224 now, right? I think Aiba Masaki-san is now in peace,” he added.  
   
“You’re assuming too much, android,” Nino joked with a hit on his partner’s head.  
   
“Itai yo!” the android said, rubbing the back of his head.  
   
“But, Aiba-chan?” Nino started.  
   
“Hai?”  
   
“It might be crazy to say this but…”  
   
“But?”  
   
“Daisuki…” Nino said, looking embarrassed.  
   
Aiba laughed. “You should have said that somewhere dark where no one could see!”  
   
“Baka! No one’s around…” he was surprised when Aiba kissed him again.  
   
“I love Nino-chan too! And I’ll be here with you until… until forever!” he said.  
   
Nino smiled. “I know…” he said as he let Aiba hug him tight as he cried in happiness.


End file.
